Wichita eagle., 1887-10-05
WRECKED AT SEA.

placed Is IN case OF ure or wreck ON the ocean,
| and have witnessed many examples Of it
| In my fifteen years at sea. A few lines in q
newspaper the other day recalled TO mind the
| incidents connected with the loss of the En-
press, British ship, bound to Australia with
| nearly 200 people.
| 1t was an hour after noon of q fine, clear
| day in summer, ana the captain had Just
| figured out the position OF the ship as due
west of Melbourne $50 miles, when there was
an explosion in the forecastle, followed at
once by smoke and fame, and half a dozen
| sailors, all more or less badly burned, tum-
bled up the ladder with shouts Of fire. What
brought about the explosion we never knew,
| as there was no time to ask questions while
the ship was in danger, and in q couple Of
hours we were separated forever. was third
| mate of the Empress, and assisted the last
man up the ladder and closed the scuttle be-
hind him to smother the flames until we could
get ready to fight them. In spite Of our be-
ing a sailing vessel, with only hand pumps to
fight the fire. and Of our having a mixed pas
senger list it would have made you proud to
see how calamity we went to work after the
first SILVER of confusion had come and gone
We laid the hose, manned the pumps and
the forecastle.
There was a fair breeze and a moderate sea,
and while a part of the crew, assisted by q
number Of willing passengers, worked at the
fire, the others kept the ship ON her course
was certain at first that we should conquer
the fire, but at the end Of a quarter of an
hour l had to report to the captain that the
flames were gaining on us. They had wo' ked
TOD 49, 49, 49,.
pitch stored there, and though we pumped in
enough water to float house of its founda-
lions, we made no impression on the flames
When had reported this fact the captain
quietly said:
@Mr johnson, Pm afraid the ship must go.
Let the carpenter take your place forward
and do you at once set about getting the boats
in shape We can hold the fire for half an
hour or more, and that will give you time to
put in water and provisions"
called the steward and one Of the cooks
and q common sailor TO my aid. Our boats
were in good shape as to oars and sails The
sailor and the cook attended to the water
kegs, while the steward and myself brought
up the provisions and other things We had
boat room for every soul ON board, and the
only fear was that the people might get in q
frenzy at the last. We had passengers Of all
sorts, and some of them would be made des-
perate by fear. We did not seem to hurry
ourselves in getting the boats ready, but in
less than half an hour we had every one ready
for launching. Each boat had water and
provisions for ten days for its complement,
and we put in some clothing, wine, fishing
tackle, spare sails, etc. In the boat which
was to have charge of placed my revolver
and box of cartridges, and, later on, mus
ket and lot of blank cartridges for firing
signals l personally inspected each key Of
water to see that it was fresh, and / looked
into every boat to see that the mast and sail
and oars were there When reported to the
captain again he replied:
avery well. Quietly call some Of the men
aft and we will launch the boats"
got eight or ten men together, some pas
sengers and some sailors, and while we were
getting the quarter boats over and alongside
the first mate and few sailors got the long
boat off her checks and over the rail Now it
was that the passengers began to exhibit
signs Of panic They were all on deck, you
understand, some praying and weeping, some
sullen and silent, but all ready to rush 70
destruction, like a flock Of sheep, as soon us
leader could be found. The leader was found
when the flames finally burst through the
deck end scream went up from hundred
threats. He was a Liverpool rough-a burly,
big fellow, who was going out to Australia as
a champion wrestler and fighter. He had
worked like hero at the pumps, and had
done much to encourage others, but when he
saw the ship was doomed he turned cur and
threw up his hands and shouted:
aRush for the boats; we shall all be blown
sky high!'
There would have been q rush and a great
loss of life but for the captain He made
two or three jumps to reach the fellow,
knocked him fat on his broad back by .
powerful blow, and then calmly said to the
people:
sMy friends, there is no hurry. We shaI
now take in all sail and put the ship of before
the wind This will keep the fire forward for
a long time yet. We have no powder aboard,
and if you will obey orders not person will
be lost We are only fifty miles from land
and every boa. will reach it before noon to-
morrow"
Ee fibbed about the distance, but that was
iustif under the circumstances. Orders
were given 40 take IN ali sail md get the ship
of before the wind, and when thai L1d ha~n
accomplished the moment OF peril was at
hand. Each officer armed himself with be-
having pin, and stood at the rail, and the cap
tain told of for the boats. We had six boats
for the crowd The first one loaded was put
in charge of the carpenter; the next in charge
of the boatswain; the next was mine. Once
or twice, rs we were getting the first boat
away, there was q rush by frightened men,
but we beat them back, and afterward there
was no trouble. The people came up to b
counted of, woman and children first, and it
would have made your heart ache TO note
their looks. Grim despair had settled down
on every countenance. Every face was ashy
pale, lips blue. and not one in q dozen could
utter a wori. Some OF the women stared
straight bsfors them, as IL fascinated by q
horrible sight, and some Of the men shock as
with chill when they went over the rail.
When finally got away from the side Of
the burning craft had nineteen people IN q
boat which could not comfortably carry over
thirteen. However, as there were eigat
women and five children in the crowd it lefr
Us buoyan, enough OF the six men Of Us
bad only one sailor. OF the four others one
was the rough knocked down by the captain, q
second was specialized professor Of botany,
and the third and fourth were young men
going cut TO join mercantile houss- l ran
the boat OF TO windvard Of the ship, which
was drifting slowly, and then arranged my
people According 70 my notsoa- Tbs rough
was sent 70 the bow Of TIE boat Next
20 him came the two young nen-
had the water and provisions placsd in
the stern, and the sailor bad bis place
where be could relieve M At the bein-
Then I stood vp 10 say Few words